An Illustrated History Of The Platform Shoe

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Before the ugly-shoe flatform came the Spice Girls. And before them, disco. And before disco was Salvatore Ferragamo. And before him? About 2,000 years of people always wanting to be a little taller than they actually are. The history of the platform shoe is long and storied...and it hasn't always been about fashion.
The sky-high shoe assisted royals in dodging Medieval muck, gave Greek thespians a much-needed boost on stage, and was actually outlawed at a certain point (in 1670, British Parliament outlawed many accoutrements for married women, including makeup, artificial teeth, false hair, bolstered hips, and platform shoes as punishable by death) . Take a little trip with us as we walk (and hobble) through all the forms the platform shoe has taken on. Trust — you might actually want to hold onto your retired Litas — you've got yourself a piece of history right there.